How Can I "babyproof" my wall heater?

Dana | Oct 30, 2009 | 0 | Posted in Recommend It!

Ask The Safety Guy

Kacie from Saratoga asks: How can I “baby-proof” my wall heater?

As we enter the winter season, many families realize that their heater is a safety issue for their infant/toddler children. Depending upon their design, heaters may get very hot to the touch and may have very sharp edges that can easily cut probing little fingers. The need to and options for “baby-proofing” heaters depends upon their design and location.

Gas wall heaters range from one to five feet tall. Both temperature and sharp edges can be an issue. These can be “baby-proofed” by providing a barrier that will not create a fire hazard. Although an off-the-shelf solution does not exist for these, a Configure Gate from KidCo can be effective if sufficient space is available. You will want to have the gate at least 18 inches away from the heater such that your child cannot reach through the Configure Gate to the heater.

When space is limited, parents have also used fireplace screens, secured to the wall on either side of the heater, to keep little hands away. The screens should have a tight mesh, sturdy and taller than your child’s reach. Home centers usually have something that will work. Attaching it to the wall may be a little tricky, but using cable ties and screwed eyelets may do the trick.

Electric baseboard heaters are a little trickier because of their length. Radiant Wraps, LLC makes a retrofit cover system that reduces the opening size and surface temperature while improving the aesthetics. Remove the temperature control knobs by pulling outward when not in use as toddlers love to turn dials.

Floor heaters can be the trickiest of all as they are typically centrally located in a high traffic area of the home. If near a wall, the barrier approach used for wall heaters may work. If not, a custom box cover may be necessary. A cover can be fabricated to fit over the grate and secured to the floor. Ideally, a noncombustible material would be used for the box, but wood or plastic can be used of adequate spacing and ventilation is provided. A somewhat industrial looking, but cost effective solution is achieved by taking a large irrigation control valve box (available at a landscaping supply house) and drilling dozens of one inch diameter holes in the top and sides. It can then be secured to the floor with two small screws or adhesive backed Velcro.

Finally, most homes in our area have central heating from a gas furnace distributed through ducts and vents in each room. Extreme temperatures at the vents are unusual; however, make sure that floor vents cannot be readily removed. The sheet metal ducts can have sharp edges and can conceivably be entrapment hazards. Loose vents can be screwed to the floor to prevent toddler access.

For folks using fireplaces or wood stoves as a heat source, stay tuned, as I will address the associated hazards and solutions in a future column.

Again, if you are making a custom barrier solution, be sure to maintain adequate spacing and ventilation to ensure you do not create a fire hazard. While you are at, change the furnace filter and make sure your Carbon Monoxide monitor has fresh batteries.

Submit your questions to pros@homesafety.net. Martin Simenc, The Safety Guyâ, is the President of Home Safety Services, Inc., the Bay Area’s largest and highest rated baby proofing company.
They can be reached at 1-888-388-3811.

child safety, childproofing, injury prevention (all tags)

Ask The Safety Guy: As a renter, how much do I babyproof?

Dana | Aug 16, 2009 | 0 | Posted in Baby Talk

Heather from San Francisco asks:

As a renter, how much can/should I babyproof?

I am frequently asked this important question, and my answer varies depending upon the age of your baby and the estimated length of your stay. Notice I did not say that it depends upon your landlord or the type of home you are renting. From the perspective of creating a safe environment for your child, age and length of stay should be the driving forces.

The age of your baby is a critical factor as the hazards evolve as a child grows. Parents of a newborn who will be moving out in seven or eight months, probably do not have to do much baby proofing. However, parents of a one year-old that will be staying eight or nine months should probably do a lot. The reason being that many of the greatest dangers (hazards combined with a toddler's increased mobility) present themselves during this period. A severe injury is the same whether it occurs while renting or owning, so it behooves us as parents to do what we can to prevent one from occurring.

The length of stay may also impact the level of baby proofing undertaken. For example, latching cabinets is an essential safety precaution for any toddler, but a simpler latch (i.e. Gerber) may be used if the family will move prior to the child reaching say eighteen months of age.

Parents are occasionally hesitant to use hardware mounted gates when in a rental situation. I strongly encourage them to rethink their reluctance for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if done properly, installing a gate creates screw holes no larger than those required to hang a picture and are readily repairable. Additionally, due to recent product developments, screw holes in finished wood surfaces are rarely necessary (see last month's column). Secondly, a pressure mounted gate is simply inappropriate for top of stair applications (even by the manufacturer's instructions), so using a hardware mounted gate is absolutely necessary for any multi-level rentals.

Finally, the spirit of the California Fair Housing Act would support a tenant's right to make reasonable accommodations to enhance the safety of her family. Thus, although landlords may not be thrilled to have you do some baby proofing, legally they cannot discriminate against you for having a baby nor should they dissuade you from creating a safe home environment for your family.

Submit your questions to pros@homesafety.net. Martin Simenc, The Safety Guy, is the President of Home Safety Services, Inc., the Bay Area’s largest and highest rated baby proofing company. They can be reached at 1-888-388-3811. Previous columns can be viewed at www.homesafety.net.

child safety, childproofing, injury prevention (all tags)

Ask The Safety Guy - furniture bracing - how and what to do?

Dana | May 04, 2009 | 0 | Posted in Baby Talk

Kacey from San Jose asks:

Which pieces of furniture should I brace to the wall and how can I do so?

Many parents overlook the hazard associated with the potential toppling of furniture. Living in California, we need to protect against both earthquakes and climbing children that cause furniture to topple and potentially cause serious injury.

The obvious pieces to brace are the tall and narrow bookcases. Unfortunately, a lot of parents stop at this point, not recognizing other equal or greater hazards. Shorter and apparently more stable pieces should also be secured, especially if they are climbable and especially if they have drawers.

Dressers, even relatively short ones, will readily topple if a toddler opens the drawers and climbs up the ladder-like steps. Shorter bookcases, changing tables, grandfather clocks, armoires and china cabinets should be secured in most cases. Stacked units, such as desk and shelf units, two-piece china cabinets and entertainment centers are particularly prone to toppling in earthquakes unless they are properly secured.

Technically, anything that is taller than it is wide can topple. However, a good rule of thumb is that if a piece of furniture is more than twice as tall as it is deep, it should probably be braced. Heavy objects such as armoires, entertainment centers, and china cabinets are not immune from this recommendation. Although your child may not climb on or pull these pieces over, a strong earthquake may.

Televisions warrant special attention. In many homes, the televisions have gotten bigger and bigger while the television stand has remained the same size. A large TV on a modest stand can readily topple, especially when an excited child watching their favorite video shakes or pulls on the TV or stand. Unfortunately, several children are killed or severely injured each year when TVs topple, thus TVs should also be braced or secured in a large cabinet.

Occasionally, parents are reluctant to brace an antique or heirloom piece, as they are concerned that bracing it will cause damage or reduce its value. Neither concern is valid since you can typically brace the furniture from behind without marring any of the finished surfaces, and the small screw holes that are required are insignificant relative to the damage and danger caused if the piece topples in an earthquake.

Now that we have identified which pieces of furniture should be braced, next time I will discuss the techniques and products for securely bracing them to the walls in your home.

Submit your questions to pros@homesafety.net. Martin Simenc, The Safety Guy, is the President of Home Safety Services, Inc., the Bay Area’s largest and highest rated baby proofing company. They can be reached at 1-888-388-3811 or www.homesafety.net.

child safety, injury prevention (all tags)

How to keep your little one safe in the kitchen, especially around the stove.

Dana | Dec 08, 2008 | 0 | Posted in Baby Talk

Dear CPMC baby step community - below you will find information from the "Ask The Safety Guy" newsletter. Hope you find this information useful.

The stove is a frequent source of serious childhood injuries – all of which should be prevented. Here’s what can happen and how to avoid it from occurring.

Burns / Scalding
It is so simple, but it is worth stating for those who are not already doing so: use only the back burners and keep your pot handles turned inwards. Doing so will make it much more difficult for your little to reach something hot that she should not. It is also important to make sure that we are consistent with the messages we convey. By this I mean that, contrary to tradition, we should not let youngsters play with pots and pans. If we do, what is to stop them from thinking that a pot is still a toy when it is on the stove full of boiling water? It is best to keep your pots and pans (and just about everything else) inside latched cabinets.

Fires
Many parents are very concerned that their child may inadvertently turn on the stove and cause a fire or get burned. Most children, however, are not attracted to the stove knobs and no action is required. If your child has demonstrated an interest or fascination with the stove knobs, our best advice is to remove the stove knobs when not in use. It is easy to do so by simply pulling vertically on the knobs themselves. This simple approach tends to be more effective and parent friendly than any of the so-called “baby-proofing” knob covers (don’t fit or tedious to use) or plastic barriers (not secure, awkward and unattractive).

Tip-overs
Free standing stoves have another potentially devastating hazard – the potential to topple over onto a child that stands on the oven door. Although, it may sound remote numerous fatalities have occurred in this manner. The good news is that tip-overs are readily prevented by installing the anti-tip device that is provided with every stove upon purchase. We often encounter stoves in which the hardware was never installed and find it in a plastic bag taped to the back of the stove. It is an easy and important do-it-yourself task.

Bonks
As toddlers look for anything and everything in order to pull themselves up, they may grab on the dish towel hanging on the oven door. If they grab on both sides of the towel, they may inadvertently do so with enough force to open the oven door and get “bonked” in the face. The oven latch by SafetyFirst works well on many (but not all) ovens to keep the door closed.

Cuts, Poisoning & Choking
Latch those cabinets. Yes, it makes sense to latch everything below the counter height with the possible exception of the towel and Tupperware drawers. Use magnetic latches (Tot-Locks) for the highest hazard areas (beneath the sink and cutlery) at least. Plastic latches like the ones made by KidCo work well for the other cabinets and drawers.

Taking these precautions should make your time in the kitchen a little less stressful and a lot safer.

For more safety tips, or to review other Ask The Safety Guy topics, go to www.homesafety.net. You may also submit your questions to pros@homesafety.net. Martin Simenc, The Safety Guy, is the President of Home Safety Services, Inc., the Bay Area’s largest and highest rated safetyfittingTM company.
They can be reached at 1-888-388-3811.

child, safety, injury prevention, child proofing (all tags)